


Hiding In Plain Sight

by Tracey450



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Crimes & Criminals, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-19
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-06-09 09:59:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6901306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tracey450/pseuds/Tracey450
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny gets a blast from the past when the team catch a case involving drugs, fast cars, and the FBI.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any of the characters.  
> This was my first venture into the world of writing in 2015. Enjoy!

The sound waves reverberated through his body, his hands held to his ears in a desperate attempt to lesson the physical pain, which now ferociously attacked all his senses. Tears running unabated down his cheeks, his nostrils and throat were burning from the caustic smoke. Squeezing his eyes together with all the strength he could muster, he longed for the noise to stop. After what seemed like forever, he got his wish. Silence gave way to the dull murmur of voices. Seconds later he felt a hand on his shoulder. Startled he looked up through blurred, tear filled vision. He could just make out the face of the attractive young woman he had been introduced to the previous night. Taking hold of her outstretched hand, he let her hoist him to his feet and felt himself hastily ushered towards the back of the building.

He was unceremoniously pushed into a small office. The young woman removed a gas mask and earplugs, throwing them onto a wooden table that sat in the middle of the room. Other than the table, there was a dirty old fridge, a sink, a few wall cupboards, and a couch.

Grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge she passed it to him. "Here drink some water. I'll get a damp cloth for your eyes."

He slumped down onto the worn black leather couch. Gulping down the water, desperately trying to soothe his painful throat. He then held the cold bottle against his forehead to ease his pounding head.

"Jason... that's your name... right?" She handed him a damp cloth.

He stared blankly at her, as if searching for the correct answer. "Yes... Jason... and you're Jodie. We met last night. You didn't look so good."

Standing near the door, Jodie continued to watch him. "You don't look too good yourself. I don't know what went on out there and I'm not sure I want to know. But there's one thing I'm certain of, Ronan won't be happy. You should go, before he comes looking for you."

Closing his eyes he swallowed convulsively, fighting the urge to vomit. Stubbornly he answered. "Good, he invited me to take a look at the car, so that's what I'm going to do. I'm not going to let some wannabe thug put me off."

"That wannabe thug is his little brother and that temper runs in the family. The mood swing you saw last night is just the tip of the iceberg. Trust me when I say he's bad news. Scratch that - they're both bad news."

"If that's the case, why do you stick around?"

"Let's just say it's complicated, and leave it at that. Now Jason, please go. There's a door at the end of the corridor, it leads out onto the back parking lot." Jodie snatched the cloth from him and opened the door. "Please, I shouldn't have even helped you. Now go."

Jason was about to protest, when he heard someone yelling from just outside. "Get out now, all of you." The door flew open, slamming against the wall with a loud bang. They both froze. Ronan Cleary stood in the doorway, visibly vibrating with rage.

"I trusted you. Loved you. How could you betray me like this?" He practically spat the words at her.

"I... I was just helping him... there's nothing going on." With a shaky voice she tried to placate him, holding her hands out towards him.

"She's telling you the truth, I was just leaving." The last thing he wanted was to get involved in a lover's tiff. Things had already gone sideways, and he really needed to get out of there.

Ronan entered the room, smacking her hands away.

"Ronan please, you've got to believe me." She sobbed. "Don't hurt him... I'm begging you."

"Oh trust me babe, he's not the one who's going to get hurt. Not just yet anyway. But you... you are just priceless, a real piece of work." Ronan closed the space between Jodie and himself. Now nose-to-nose he enunciated every word slowly. "Special. Agent. Angela. Stevens.


	2. Chapter 2

_Two days earlier. Five-0 Headquarters._

Five-0's latest case involved drug trafficking. After a week of getting nowhere, they were pleased to at last have a new lead, courtesy of HPD. It was Friday morning and they had all arrived early, hoping to make some headway before the weekend. HPD carried out a raid on a property, following an anonymous tip-off, regarding the sale of drugs at a party. Following Six arrests and subsequent interrogations, connections to Five-0's current investigation came to light. Information relating to illegal street racing had been uncovered.

Chin and Kono were currently looking through the evidence gathered by HPD on their current pool of suspects. Steve and Lou had just arrived back from forensics. Picking up coffees and malasadas for the team, while they were out.

Danny sat at his desk reviewing CCTV footage, from the previous weekends illegal car meet in Pearl City. His concentration interrupted by the loud rumble of a car engine. He looked up from his computer screen to see Kono at the smart table. A broad grin on his face, he bolted from his office, snagging the bag of malasadas from Lou before joining her at the table.

"Hey, no crumbs on the smart table brah." Kono shook her head, as he took a bite of his favorite Hawaiian snack.

"Why are you watching footage of a Top Fuel Dragster? I thought these guys were just street racers." Danny asked.

Unable to hide his excitement at what was on the screen, he indicated for Kono to continue. Various photos appeared on the Five-0 screens, including some of race cars. Steve, Chin, and Lou joined them at the table.

"Ronan Cleary. He's originally from Dublin, Ireland. Lived in L.A. for 6 years, before moving to Oahu 4 years ago. No priors, and on first look he just appears to be your regular average Joe. Owner and driver of R & A Racing, he's also the owner of R & A Haulage. But what caught my attention were his shopping activities, and I'm not talking household items here guys. In the last year he has purchased not one, but two drag racing cars." Kono explained.

"How much money are we looking at?" Steve asked.

"Well over 200K." Danny interrupted. "200 mph door slammers, running on gasoline or methanol. A '69 Camaro and a '57 Ford Thunderbird. More then likely running in the Pro-Modified class."

"Right on both counts. How'd you know that Danny?" Smiling broadly, Kono could not contain her surprise.

"Yes _Daniel_ , how the hell did you know that?" Steve shot his partner a stunned look.

Totally engrossed in what was on the screens, Danny started tapping the smart table. Trying to get the video footage to play again and failing miserably. Kono playfully elbowed him in the side. "Here let me, you technophobe. Chin, I thought you showed him how to work this thing."

"Hey, easy cuz. It's not just a thing, but a thing of beauty."

"That is a thing of beauty." Danny pointed to the screen.

"Suddenly you're an authority on cars?" Steve questioned.

Lou just laughed. "Oh this I gotta hear."

"One of my buddies back home had a Pro Mod car. I used to crew for him at some of the race meets. Once I joined the police force, it became harder to find the time to go. Then along came Rachel and then Grace. I eventually stopped going."

"You never thought to mention that. Never once have you offered to help me work on my dad's car."

Danny gave a nonchalant shrug. "You never asked."

"I never pegged you for gear head, brah." Chin stepped in before the impending argument started, followed by the inevitable rant.

Steve leaned on the table with both hands, his arms outstretched, and took a deep cleansing breath before continuing. "Let's save this conversation for later and trust me Danno, we will talk about this later."

"I wouldn't mind being a fly on the wall when that conversation happens." Lou said.

"What else have you got Kono?" Steve asked.

"It appears our Mr. Cleary just came into possession of a very expensive Top Fuel Dragster."

"Very expensive? You are looking at 500K for the car alone. I wouldn't even like to hazard a guess at how much it costs to run one." Danny threw his hands into the air in disgust, as if everyone should know how much a race car cost.

Ignoring the interruption, Kono continued. "I pulled his financials. His haulage business affords him a comfortable lifestyle, but not a lavish one. I'm guessing his haulage firm is a cover for the drugs."

Steve stood hands on hips, deep in thought. "Chin, run his financials again. Lou, see if he's got a business partner. R & A Racing, the A must stand for something. Kono keep checking the footage from the car meet at the weekend. See if Ronan Cleary comes up on facial recognition. That is where he's most likely conducting his drug business."

Steve walked towards the office doors, holding his hand out for Danny's keys. "Danny and I are going to pay Ronan Cleary a visit. Kono send his address to my cell."

"Boss, his haulage business is on a lot by the old Raceway Park, Kapolei. He keeps the race cars at Kauai Raceway Park, and he rents a house in Halawa. Where do you want to start?" Kono chewed on her bottom lip as she watched her boss, who seemed more preoccupied with his partner's newest revelation.

"Hey Steve. Wait, I have a better idea." Danny continued without waiting for Steve to respond. "You know I haven't got Grace all weekend, so why don't we check out this car meet at Pearl City tomorrow night. Do some recon, as you like to call it. It'll be a change from surf, sea, and sand. We can see if HPD can loan us a car. They must have one suitable in their impound." he was smiling like a kid on Christmas morning. "Come on babe, it'll be fun."

Steve turned to his partner, his expression mirroring Danny's. "I have an even better idea, we'll take the Marquis."

"No Steve, you've got to be kidding me." Hands cutting through the air while pacing the bull pen. Danny was just getting warmed up.

"Oh this should be good." Chin grinned.

"Muscle cars, hot rods, souped-up cars, illegal street racing, a high octane fuelled environment, drugs, and booze. Seriously you want to take your dad's old car? Great idea. I'll bring the sandwiches and picnic blanket. You can bring the coffee." Danny's voice now rising in volume. "Recon? You know what that means, don't you. Of course you do, you must have done some reconnoitering in the Army. So you would know in order to carry out said recon you need to survey the area, move around. Not baby sit the Marquis. There is no way you're going to let that thing out of your sight."

"Navy Danny, it's the Navy. This is non-negotiable. We take the Marquis, or Chin and Lou go."

"It's not a classic car show, Steven. Come on... I'll call Duke, see what's available."

"Call Duke, but if he loans us a car, Chin and Lou go." Steve headed back into his office. "Non-negotiable Danno."

Danny knew the argument was over. The tone of Steve's voice told him it would be futile to continue. He walked into his own office mumbling an almost inaudible, "You think I have a tone? Fine we'll take your heap of junk."

"I heard that Danno." Steve shouted after him.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm feeling generous today, so here's another chapter. Thanks for reading.

_One day earlier. Pearl City._

Danny perched on the perimeter wall of the parking lot off Ala Ike. Long board in hand, he enjoyed the view, taking in the sights and sounds. Smiling to himself he thought back to the days when life seemed so much simpler. He never really thought he missed the drag racing until now. Memories of weekends spent at the, now closed, Island Dragway flooded his mind. They would work on the car between runs, sometimes making it to the start line, sometimes not. No one cared; they were there to have fun. How could he forget late nights sitting in the pits discussing the next days racing, work, girls, or just putting the world to rights. His train of thought was interrupted by another blast of bass from a car trunk. The repetitive beat of a rap song hurt his ears. Damn, he was starting to feel old.

"Hey! Watch what you're doing buddy." Steve yelled. Danny watched an irate Steve get into it with a very drunk looking guy. It looked like he'd spilled his beer down the side of the Marquis. This was going exactly how he had predicted. _Badly._ They hadn't seen anything shady going on, and they hadn't laid eyes on Ronan Cleary.

Still watching Steve, his mind drifted off again, a song going around in his head. While waiting for Steve to pick him up, he'd been listening to Grace's iPod, and he couldn't stop singing the damn song. _"Did I build this ship to wreck?"_ This island had really done a number on him. Here he was at a car meet, and the only song he could remember would have to be about a ship. No, he hadn't built this ship to wreck, but somewhere along the way he'd gotten caught up in a storm. Every time he'd tried to escape it, a tendril of water had pulled him back in. Matt, Reyes, Wo Fat, Columbia - the list seemed endless. But lately he felt like he had definitely escaped it. A bit bruised and battered, but he'd dried himself off with the help of his Ohana. Life was good.

A young woman's screams startled Danny. Getting down from his spot on the wall, he shook his head in disbelief. Dropping his unfinished beer into a trashcan, he jogged towards her.

"Calm down and tell me what's wrong." Danny asked.

"He's hurting my boyfriend." She screamed, frantically pointing towards Steve.

"Hey, look at me. What's your name?"

"Frances." She relied.

"My name's Danny. Are we good now?" Receiving a nod, Danny gave her a sympathetic smile. "Okay, Frances stay here. I'll deal with this, and then you can be on your way."

"I should call the police. That man's a lunatic." She yelled, as he walked away from her.

"You're not wrong there." The words only loud enough for his own ears.

Steve had a youth bent over the hood of the Marquis. Held in an arm lock, and pinned down with his body. Steve whispered something into his ear.

"Get... this guy... off me." The boy gasped.

Danny laid his hand on his partner's shoulder. "Steve let him go, he's just a kid."

Steve pulled the kid upright, and pushed him towards his girlfriend. "Next time I'll have your ass arrested for criminal damage. Now get out of my sight."

"Your pal's a nut job!" He clasped his girl's arm, and walked away, shouting profanities as he went.

Danny gave Steve a look of reproach. "What the hell is wrong with you? You're an animal, you know that?"

"So you keep telling me Danno." Steve raised his hands in surrender. "I admit you were right. Bringing my dad's car was a bad idea."

"Can I have that in writing?" Danny smirked. "What did the poor boy do for you to go all crazy ninja on him?"

"Tried to make out on the hood." The reply was almost inaudible, but loud enough.

Danny was crying with laughter. "I'm surprised they got that close. How'd they breach your defense... perimeter?" He was now laughing harder.

"If it had been your beloved Camaro, you wouldn't be laughing." Steve opened the driver's door. "Come on let's call it a night."

"Wait, I'm starving. There's a food truck over there." Thumbing over his shoulder, Danny smiled eagerly.

Steve got in the car, and rolled the window down. "You go, I'll wait here."

Arms folded across his chest, Danny stood in the line at the food truck. Bumped from behind, he almost stumbled into the guy in front of him. Spinning around, he came face to face with a very attractive brunette.

"Sorry, think I may have had one too many." She giggled.

"No problem. You okay?" He asked.

"Hey! You hitting on my girl?" A thick Irish accent cut through the air.

Danny looked around and couldn't believe his eyes. Ronan Cleary was sauntering towards them. A similar build to Steve, but that's where the similarities finished. Ronan Cleary had a goatee and long hair tied in a ponytail. Danny thought he looked more like a pirate than a racer, laughing out loud without thinking.

"You think it's funny, do you?" He glared at Danny with a look of disdain on his face.

Danny started to apologize profusely. "I'm sorry. I wasn't laughing at you, or hitting on your girl."

Ronan looked at the attractive young woman standing by Danny for confirmation. "He wasn't, I knocked into him. Come on Ronan let's go, I don't feel so good."

Ronan draped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek tenderly. He eyed Danny. "You got a ride?"

He glanced towards the cars nearby as if trying to ascertain which one was Danny's.

"Hmm… yeah it's over the other side of the lot...'71 Dodge Challenger." Danny cleared his throat. Looking over to Steve, he was relieved to see he was still waiting in the car.

"Nice ride. I wouldn't mind taking a look sometime, but it looks like we need to go." His girl leaned into him like she might collapse.

"Sorry, didn't mean to be so rude. My name's Ronan Cleary."

"That wouldn't be Ronan Cleary from R & A Racing?"

"Yes, you heard of me?"

"I follow the sport. Used to crew some years back for a Top Fuel team."

"I could use a good crew man with some Top Fuel experience. What was your area of expertise?"

"I was the clutch man." Danny blurted out without thinking.

"We're based up at Kauai Raceway Park. I'll be there with my crew all day tomorrow, if you fancy taking a look." Ronan looked on expectantly.

"Yeah, I might take you up on that." Danny replied.

"This here's Jodie by the way. Sorry I don't even know your name."

"Jason Fisher."

"Maybe I'll see you tomorrow then." Ronan reached out to shake Danny's hand. "And sorry about just now... you know... our little misunderstanding."

"No problem, it's already forgotten." Danny replied, shaking Ronan's hand.

Jodie waved at Danny as she was led away. "Bye Jason."

Danny watched them leave, burgers forgotten. _Clutch man. Jason Fisher._ "Shit, Steve's going to kill me."

 


	4. Chapter 4

_Present Day. Kauai Raceway Park._

Kamekona set his helicopter down just south of the old runway, now used as a drag strip.

"Thanks big guy. I owe you one." Danny went to take off his headset, but Kamekona stopped him.

"Wait. Now you're sure McGarrett's otherwise occupied all day. I promised I would baby-sit your behind. If he finds out I left you, he'll shoot my ass."

"Don't worry, he's at the Governor's Fundraiser. Kono, Chin, and Lou are attending family gatherings. We're in the clear. I'll call you when I'm ready to be picked up."

"Okay brudda, catch you later."

The whoop-whoop of the helicopter blades could be heard overhead as Danny made his way towards some garages at the far end of the drag strip. Grimacing has he thought back to the previous nights conversation with Steve. The same conversation had continued that very morning. Steve was far from happy.

_"What the hell were you thinking Danny, giving a false name."_

Danny was loath to admit it, but he'd screwed up this time. Not only had he given a false name, he had also lied about his knowledge of dragster clutches, having never worked on a Top Fuel dragster before. He omitted the latter part from his conversation with Steve.

When Grace had unexpectedly been invited to a friend's birthday sleepover, he had agreed to go to the fundraiser with Steve. So when he then bowed out at the last minute to meet with Ronan Cleary, Steve had hit the roof. He wasn't thrilled for his partner to go to Kauai alone since they didn't know what they were up against. He wanted Danny to wait until they could go together.

Ultimately Danny had won the argument. He was visiting an official drag racing strip, taking a look at a team set-up, nothing more. Kamekona agreed to fly him over and wait the few hours he planned to be there. That had sealed the deal. Danny just failed to mention that the big man wouldn't be sticking around.

By the time Danny reached his destination, his plain navy t-shirt was sticking to him uncomfortably. He checked the time on his cell, he had about four hours before he needed to call Kamekona. He stuffed the phone into his jeans back pocket. Running both hands through his now damp hair, he took a deep breath and ducked under the partially open garage door.

Once inside, the oppressive Hawaiian heat was replaced by cool air. The low hum of an air-conditioning unit could be heard overhead. The smell of engine oil and gasoline hung heavily in the cool air. Danny shivered as the damp of his t-shirt cooled on his back. Catching his eye immediately was the car to his left, a '69 Camaro. What he'd seen in the photos didn't do it justice. With long, sleek lines, vibrant red paintwork, she was a work of art. The hood had been lifted onto the car's roof, revealing the massive 2000 horse power, nitrous injected engine.

The loud clang of something metal hitting the floor, followed by harsh words, came from the other side of the garage. To the far right was a Top Fuel dragster surrounded by a hive of activity. At least half a dozen guys were busy working on the vehicle.

A heavy-set man approached him. "Can I help you?"

"Ronan Cleary invited me over to take a look at the dragster. Is he here?"

"No, but we're expecting him soon. You're more than welcome to take a look while you wait." The man offered his hand to shake. "Ryan Stone, Crew Chief."

Shaking his hand, Danny introduced himself. "Jason Fisher. I used to crew for a drag racing team. We ran a '53 Corvette in Pro Modified."

Danny walked over to the Camaro, hoping to avoid any involvement with the Top Fuel dragster just yet. "This is an awesome car." He commented, while admiring the smooth bodywork up close.

"You're not wrong there. We've just finished doing the valve lash. I was going to put in some fuel and start her up. Care to give me a hand taking off the trunk lid?"

Danny nodded in agreement walking to the back of the car. The two men removed the lid. Ryan started to fill the gas tank from a large plastic gas can. When he'd finished he dipped the tank to check the fuel level. "That's more than enough to run her for a few minutes. I'll just check the batteries before we turn the engine over."

"Ryan, what the hell do you think your doing? We agreed not to run the Camaro today." The words were bellowed with a thick Irish accent. A young athletic guy came barreling towards them.

"Listen good Aidan, I never agreed to anything. Your brother named me chief, because you haven't got a clue." Ryan continued to check the Camaro over. "When Ronan gets here, I'll make sure he knows what an incompetent fool you are."

Aidan stood his ground. The anger rolled off him in waves. "Ronan wants the dragster warmed up this morning before he gets back."

Ryan got in his face, causing Aidan to stumble backwards. "Okay, have it your way Aidan. I doubt your brother will keep you here much longer. Anyhow, he's already found your replacement. Meet Jason."

"Whoa, I never implied that." Danny was shocked by the turn of events. "Look I'll leave, maybe come back later."

Aidan ignored Danny, focusing on Ryan. "This was your plan all along. Ever since you got transferred over here from the haulage business. Trying to muscle your way in. My brother can see right through you. I won't let you get away with this."

Aidan's face took on a pained look, now more visibly upset than angry. Danny noticed how the other guys in the garage carried on working, as if this was a regular occurrence. He decided this was as good a time as any to leave, so he headed towards the open garage door.

In a deadly turn of events, Aidan Cleary's mood changed yet again. Reaching out he grabbed a large monkey wrench from the top of a nearby toolbox. Aidan swung the wrench with full force at an unsuspecting Danny.

Hearing the scuffle from behind, Danny turned to look, all he saw was a glint of metal. Seconds later his head was engulfed by a white-hot pain. With a sickening thud his lifeless body fell to the ground.

Ryan snatched at Aidan's forearm, shoving him down towards the ground. He grappled with Aidan on the floor. Hands pulled him off and he fell back. Aidan clambered to his feet, breathing heavily, shouting orders to those around him. Out of nowhere the barrel of a gun appeared in Ryan's line of sight.

"Get up!" Aidan jabbed the handgun into the side of Ryan's head. "Drag his body to the back of the garage. Then go out and tell Jodie we're starting the dragster."

"Are you crazy? Forget the dragster. He might be dead. Have you even checked?" Ryan walked over to Danny, and dropping to his knees, he checked for a pulse. Sighing with relief, he added. "You got lucky this time. Now let's get him checked out at the ER. Don't make this any worse than it needs to be."

"Worse… worse for who Ryan? You just need to do as I say. Now get a move on."

Danny felt the ground below him move. Fighting the urge to vomit, he kept his eyes closed and took deep calming breaths. He gasped in pain when he was unceremoniously dropped to the floor. Holding his head in his hands, blinking to clear his vision, he could hear Ryan close by.

"Let me put the ear protection on him at the very least." Ryan picked up the ear defenders, only to have them snatched from his grasp.

"No, leave him. Take a gas mask out to Jodie." Aidan waved the gun in the direction of a back door.

With trembling fingers Danny touched the side of his head. Hissing when he touched raw skin. He brought his bloody hand back down and stared at it blankly. He then tried to push himself up from the floor, but collapsed when a nauseating pain caused his head to throb in time with his now pounding heart. Fighting the urge to vomit, he rolled onto his side, curling up into a fetal position. Taking deep breaths Danny slowly regained control. The nausea and dizziness started to subside, only to return when without warning he was plunged into a whole new world of pain.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Steve checked his cell phone for the hundredth time. Excusing himself from the table, he headed for the nearest exit to make a call. Having spent all morning in meetings with various officials, including the Governor. He was now at the Royal Hawaiian Resort Hotel at the start of what was going to be a tedious afternoon. He was about to sit through a luncheon, followed by a fundraising auction.

Mentally doing the math in his head, he concluded that Danny would have arrived at the raceway just after 11.30 a.m. Just over an hour ago. Now standing in an empty corridor, he thumbed the speed dial for his partner. He waited impatiently for Danny to answer. The call went straight to voice mail, and sighing he left a message. Knowing full well that he would be on the receiving end of a few choice words. "Danno, hope you're keeping out of trouble. Call me?"

Steve had not long returned to his seat, when one of the Governor's aids approached, informing him that two FBI agents were waiting outside to see him. Making his apologies, he left the table once again.

"Commander McGarrett, I'm Special Agent Nathan Young." Offering his hand to shake. "This is my partner, Special Agent Mark Hansen."

Steve shook Agent Young's hand. "What can I do for you agents?"

"Commander." Hansen shook Steve's hand. "Let's find somewhere less public to talk."

On finding one of the hotel's corporate meeting rooms empty, the two agents now sat opposite Steve.

"This couldn't wait until tomorrow?" Steve asked.

"Unfortunately events this morning have forced us to bring this meeting forward." Young replied.

Hansen opened a manila folder and showed its contents to Steve. "You recently started investigating R & A Haulage, am I right? Well, they are part of an ongoing FBI case."

The folder contained photos of Ronan Cleary meeting with various individuals. Steve swallowed hard, his thoughts immediately going to Danny. "Why are you telling me this now?"

"We have two agents working in Ronan Cleary's organization." Hansen slid the folder back towards himself. "Undercover for just under seventeen months. We received Intel this morning, confirming that one of them has had their cover blown."

Young stood and walked over to the window. Looking out onto the hotel swimming pool he sighed.

"This is a small part of a much bigger crime syndicate. The main players are based along the west coast of the main land." Agent Young turned to face Steve. "Warrants have been issued, and later on today we will be moving in on all of Ronan Cleary's assets."

"Commander, you realize we are only telling you this out of courtesy. We are well aware that one of your team is on Kauai today." Hansen said.

"Yes my partner, Detective Danny Williams." He felt it best to keep the details of Danny's fake identity to himself for the time being.

"As I explained, this is a small part of something much bigger. No weapons have ever been involved, so we do not anticipate any physical resistance. That said, Ronan Cleary is notorious for his temper, and we are concerned for our Agent's well being."

"So your compromised Agent is with the race team?" Steve asked.

"Yes, our other Agent is ensconced in the haulage business. I suspect Detective Williams will not have any identification on him. In which case, if he's on the premises at the time of the take down, we will arrest him." Young replied.

"Let me call him and give him the heads up." Steve removed his cell from his suit pocket.

Young walked over and leaned across the table, invading Steve's personal space. "I wouldn't do that. Do not compromise our mission Commander. Come on, you know how this works. He will be released once the mission is complete."

"With all due respect, this is a member of my team, and I will do what is necessary to protect him. Now I'm telling you this out of courtesy." Steve stood and walked to the door. "Let's hope for everyone's sake, this goes as smoothly as you say it will."

 


	5. Chapter 5

The dragster roared to life. The ear-splitting sound made by its engine bounced off the walls. An air of uncertainty hung over the men surrounding the car. Used to the daily arguments between the two men, this latest one had taken them all by surprise. Unsure of what to do, they continued their ministrations on the car, only too aware of the growing tension between the two men who stood next to them. Aidan glared at Ryan, one hand resting on his now holstered gun, as if daring the other man to challenge him. Ryan threw a concerned look at Danny, only to be startled by a punch to his shoulder. Jodie stood before him, wearing a gas mask and frantically gesturing for them to cut the engine.

Aidan turned to the man in the driver's seat, signaling to him to kill the engine. Jodie removed her mask, pulling it down to hang loosely around her neck.

"What the hell is wrong with you Ryan?" Jodie looked at him in disgust. "How could you let this happen?"

"How is this my fault? Ask the gun wielding maniac." He pointed to Aidan.

"He's Ronan's guest. Way to go guys." She sighed, and shaking her head, she walked over to where Danny lay. Helping him to his feet, they headed to a door at the back of the garage.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

"I trusted you to have his back." Running his hands through his hair, Steve paced back and forth in front of a guilt ridden Kamekona. "This I can believe from Danny, but you..."

Before Kamekona could answer, Chin pulled up in his Mustang, followed by Lou in his truck. Kono jumped out of the passenger side of Chin's car. "Hey Boss, what's all this about?"

"I'll explain on the way. Kamekona is kindly loaning us his helicopter, aren't you?" Steve glared at him.

"I'm sorry brudda. Just make sure my favorite haole is okay."

"Don't worry, we will." Chin replied.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Jodie pushed Danny through the door into a small office. Removing the gas mask and earplugs, throwing them onto a wooden table that sat in the middle of the room. She watched him stagger over to the leather couch and slump down onto it. Then passed him a bottle of water from the dirty old fridge, which stood next to a sink. The room was sparsely furnished, with only a few wall cupboards.

"Here drink some water. I'll get a damp cloth for your eyes."

She handed him the damp cloth.

"Jason... that's your name... right?"

Standing near the door, Jodie continued to study him. He looked confused, as if struggling to find the correct words before answering.

"Yes... Jason... and you're Jodie. We met last night. You didn't look so good."

Jodie glanced across the garage floor one last time before closing the door. She needed to get Jason out of there before Ronan returned. Her concern over Ronan's absence growing. If that wasn't worry enough, she now had to deal with a garage full of testosterone-filled egos. Jodie leaned with her back against the door, heart racing.

The standoff continued between Aidan and Ryan. She could picture them posturing, two bulls about to do battle. These men were worse than a bunch of hens with their squabbles.

There was a loud crash and then the clank of tools hitting the garage floor, followed by yelling.

"I want everyone out of here. Now."

_Ronan._

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She glanced at the injured man on the couch. She had to get him to safety.

"Ryan help Aidan. Then I want you both in the office."

Jodie could clearly hear him. He was now at the other side of the door. She backed away slowly, hands in fists at her side. Focused on her breathing, she hoped she was ready.

The door flew open, slamming against the wall with a loud bang.

"Special. Agent. Angela. Stevens. FBI."

Danny couldn't believe his ears. Ronan's words kept repeating in his head. _"Special. Agent. Angela. Stevens. FBI."_

Ronan shoved Jodie against the wall. His forearm pushed against her neck, crushing her windpipe. She fought to take a breath, tears running down her cheeks, eyes pleading for him to stop. Thrashing her arms, finger nails clawing at his skin, desperate to get free. Jodie was running out of energy. Arms dropping to her sides, her eyes stopped pleading, instead rolling slowly back into her head. Ronan stepped back, and let her body slide down the wall, slumping lifelessly to the floor.

Danny had every intention of coming to Jodie's rescue, but his body had other ideas. After struggling to stand, he only walked a few steps before he had to stop. Enveloped in a thick fog, his vision tunneled, the voices around him becoming a distant whisper. Stomach acid burnt the back of his throat, the only indication that he had vomited where he stood. He leaned forward, hands on his knees and now gasping for every breath, heart pounding much too fast. Unable to stand any longer he collapsed to the floor, narrowly missing the puddle of his own puke. Darkness closed in around him, dark spots dancing across his vision, blood thundering in his ears.

After a short time Danny slowly became aware of his surrounding. His eyes roamed the floor where he lay, sluggish and fearful of what they'd find. Ronan was squatting down on his haunches, he rubbed a hand over his face. Then reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Jodie's ear. Sighing deeply he slowly stood, never taking his eyes off the woman he loved.

"Jodie." Danny mouthed. His voice barely a choked whisper. This was all his fault.

Aidan was stunned by the scene in front of him.

"Aidan put the gun away and help us move their bodies into the main garage." Ronan reached under Jodie's arms and began to pull her towards the door. "Did you not hear me? I said lose the gun."

"Is he dead?" Aidan asked.

"Well if he's not, he will be soon." Ryan pushed past Aidan and motioned for him to help move Danny.

"I don't understand. You were trying to protect him earlier, and now you want him dead?"

"Let's just say circumstances have changed. Once we destroy all the evidence we'll be home free. Now grab his legs and we'll put his body over by the Camaro." Ryan explained.

Reaching down to lift him up, Ryan was greeted by a very much alive Danny Williams. Still disorientated, he was trying to sit up.

"Aidan give me the gun."

"No, get back." Aidan held the gun in both hands, leveling it at Ryan's head. "Ronan agreed to let me take over the Drag Racing Team, but then you came along. You really think I'm going to let you destroy what we've built up here."

Ryan stood up slowly, taking a few steps towards Aidan. "Put the gun down. No one else needs to get hurt."

"Really? What about this guy? You're going to kill him." He used the top of his arms to wipe the sweat from his brow, still aiming the gun at Ryan. Arms now starting to tremble, he glanced nervously between Ryan and Danny.

"This from the guy who smashed him over the head with a Monkey Wrench. I can't work out which one of you is the crazier, your brother or you? Who are you now Dr Jekyll or Mr. Hyde?"

Ronan entered the room, rubbing his hands down his pants, having rid himself of Jodie. "Listen to Ryan. Put the gun down."

Aidan felt his brother's breath on the back of his neck, as Ronan reached around him to take the gun.

"No!" Aidan quickly ducked away. He turned and aimed the gun at both his brother and Ryan. Swinging the gun from one to the other. "You're not the same brother I grew up with. I only came to Hawaii because that was mom's dying wish."

A single tear tracked down his cheek.

"Sorry little brother, I was never one for family. It's no secret that there's no love lost between us, so it's time I cut you loose. You can stay here and burn with the rest of the trash."

Moving quickly and unexpectedly, Ryan hit Aidan hard in the chest catching him off guard. Before Aidan could react Ryan struck him again. Kicking him in the stomach, the force of which sent him crashing into the wall. Aidan felt the pain radiate through his shoulder on impact. He let the gun slip from his fingers. Hunched over, he looked up to see Ryan standing over him, gun in hand.

"Ronan, we need to move quickly, the FBI will be here soon. Help me get these two secured and into the garage."

Danny's hands and feet were bound, both men held him under the armpits, lifting him up, and then dragging him across the garage floor to the Camaro. Soon after Aidan was forced down next to him.

"Torch the place and make it look good." Ronan ordered striding away, not giving his brother a second look.

Danny sat staring at Jodie. She lay a few feet from where he sat up against the Camaro. She lay on her side, facing him. Her pale face drained of all color, eyes glaced, and mouth slack. The severe throbbing pain in his head was unrelenting, making it difficult to concentrate. Snippets of conversation kept repeating over and over in his mind.

_Special. Agent. Angela. Stevens. FBI._

_Tried to make out on the hood._

_I promised I would baby-sit your ass._

_Shit Steve's going to kill me._

To add to his already muddled thoughts, were the three remaining men. Apart from Ronan Cleary, who he had watched kill Jodie, he was struggling to remember who the other two were. One of which now sat tied up next to him.

A voice entered his subconscious, and he slowly opened his eyes. The name it spoke was strangely familiar.

"Jason wake up. Come on man you need to stay awake. I hit you pretty hard. You can't pass out, man. You'll die. I'm really sorry."

Danny just frowned.

"You don't remember do you?" Aidan gave Danny a concerned look.

"Danny, my names Danny, and no I don't remember."

"But Ryan called you Jason." Aidan frowned.

Danny just stared at the zip ties securing his wrists, the plastic cutting into his skin. A vague memory of the false name rousing him from his thoughts.

"Don't worry my partner will get us out."

"Partner?"

"I'm Five-0."

"This day just keeps getting better. First the FBI and now Five-0. So I take it my brother's into more than just Drag Racing?"

"You really had no idea?" Danny felt his stomach lurch. Bile rose to the back of his throat. Eyes closed, he tilted his head forward, concentrating on slowing his breathing.

"I didn't think all his business was legit." Aidan studied Danny for a moment. "You okay?"

"Peachy. Think I'm gonna be sick."

Aidan watched Ronan and Ryan pour gasoline over the dragster, before disappearing through the office door. "We need to figure a way out of here now. Ronan wasn't speaking figuratively earlier."

Aidan searched the floor for something to cut himself free. He spotted some side-cutters under a tool chest. Breathing heavily, struggling to control his now rising panic, he shuffled towards them. Cutters in hand he freed his legs first and then tried frantically to free his wrists.

"Hey. Man. You still with me." Aidan shouted.

Danny had zoned out. He dreamt he was lounging on Steve's lanai soaking up the sun and he could hear the waves crashing onto the shore. The air around him was starting to feel uncomfortable, too hot. He was sure to get a sunburn if he stayed there much longer. But he couldn't move. The sound of the waves changed to a load roar, mixed with the occasional pop, and crackle. A familiar smell that reminded him of his dad dressed as firefighter, filled his nostrils. Coughing harshly, he opened his eyes to see flames licking around the sides of the dragster. The other end of the garage was bathed in a crimson glow.

 


	6. Chapter 6

Danny felt the zip ties fall away from his wrists. Instinctively, he pulled his t-shirt up to cover his mouth and nose. Someone was tugging at his upper arm, trying to get him to move. He remembered his new companion. _Aidan? Was_ _that his_ _name?_ Grabbing onto the only lifeline available, he was hauled to his feet. The pair stumbled away from the fire and towards the front of the garage, now trapped between a raging inferno and the garage's metal shutter door. Both coughing harshly they knew time was running out.

It felt like the world around him was moving in slow motion. The garage was burning as if it were made of paper. Claustrophobic from the dense smoke that surrounded him, it felt like he was slowly suffocating. The heat became unbearable. The air so hot it was painful to breathe and his eyes stung from the smoke. He yearned for the nightmare to end. Feeling the life draining from his body, time stood still, as if frozen in a picture frame. Grace's voice broke through his haze. _"Danno, please don't give up. Fight for me, for Uncle Steve, for our Ohana. I'm begging you Daddy, don't leave me."_

The human instinct for survival kicked in. Looking toward the Camaro and then back to Aidan, Danny had an idea. From the look on the other man's face, they were thinking the same thing. They both moved towards the car. Talking now impossible, both men knew what had to be done. Aidan climbed in the drivers seat. Driving the Pro Mod car had always been a dream of his, but never in such dire circumstances. Having started the car more times than he could remember, he felt for the controls. Glancing over he could just make out Danny crouching in between the roll bar safety structure. If this didn't work, they would both die where they sat.

Danny crouched on the floor of the car, watching Aidan prepare to drive through the shutter. He knew the odds were stacked against them. Even if the car started, he wasn't sure it would have the momentum to blast its way through the shutter. If they didn't make it out of the garage, they'd be trapped in the inferno. Closing his eyes, he blocked out the pain and pictured Grace. If he was going to die, his last memory would be of his baby girl.

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Steve climbed into the pilot seat of Kamekona's helicopter. Positioning his headset and going through the mandatory flight checks, he was very much all business. His best Navy SEAL persona in place. After leaving the coast of Oahu Steve filled the team in on his meeting with the FBI. During the rest of the hour long journey, he remained uncharacteristically quiet. Chin, Kono, and Lou all exchanged concerned glances, but said nothing. His mood had become a dangerous mix of anger, worry, and guilt.

He was angry with his stubborn partner for going off on his own and at Kamekona for not keeping his promise to stay with Danny. He was angry with the FBI for not allowing Five-0 to take part in the raids and angry with himself for not saying no to Danny.

As angry as he was, it was the fear for his partner's well being that tore at his gut. He had the feeling something had gone wrong. If anything happened to Danny, Steve didn't know if he could live with losing another brother in arms.

He felt guilty for not doing more to stop his partner getting involved in the first place. Had he let his friendship with Danny cloud his judgment? They were team mates, but he was still the leader of Five-0. He should have been firmer and said no. Glancing at the rest of his team, he felt guilty for pulling them away from their families on a hunch that the FBI mission wouldn't go as planned.

Steve set Kamekona's helicopter down as near to the garages as possible. From the air they had been able to see the unusually high number of police, EMTs and fire trucks at the scene. The concern for their team mate grew tenfold on seeing an ominous plume of smoke rising into the sky. On exiting the chopper they set off running, Steve leading the way.

Arriving at the scene, Steve shouted at no one in particular. "What the hells going on!" When he didn't get an immediate response, he grabbed the nearest law enforcement guy. "Commander Steve McGarrett, Five-0. Who's in charge?"

"Special Agent Hansen." He pointed towards a group of agent's wearing TAC vests, emblazoned with the letter's FBI.

They made their way over to the large law enforcement contingent. Agent Hansen being the first one to spot them. "Commander McGarrett, you shouldn't be here." He yelled over the noise of the fire trucks and blazing building behind him.

"We have every right to be here, especially when it involves one of our team." Steve was beyond angry.

Lou stood between the two men, blocking his view of the Agent. "Steve calm down. You're not gonna do Danny any favors riling up the FBI."

"What's the current situation? Was the building cleared before the fire started?" Kono asked.

When an answer wasn't immediately forthcoming, Steve pushed past Lou, getting directly into Hansen's personal space. "Officer Kalakaua asked you a question."

"We received intel that suggests Ronan Cleary's brother Aidan killed our agent. We believe he set the fire to cover up any evidence. We are currently unaware of Cleary's location and I'm sorry but we have no information on Detective Williams at present."

Steve scrubbed his face with his hand and looked at the scene before him. His once stoic demeanor had started to crack. Police and FBI vehicles surrounded the building. At the far end two fire trucks were parked. Firefighters were battling to bring the flames under control.

"Look Commander I appreciate your concern for your partner, but I lost a good agent today. My other undercover agent is doing what he can to locate Cleary."

"I take it you have know idea who was in the building when the fire broke out?" Chin's concern for Danny was growing.

"We were preparing to enter when we saw smoke. We were hoping the fire could be extinguished before it did too much damage. Unfortunately that doesn't appear to be the case. It's burning too fiercely; the chances of anyone making it out alive are slim."

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The engine roared to life, without a second thought Aidan slammed it into gear. Gritting his teeth, he closed his eyes, and hit the accelerator. Seconds later the car crashed through the shutter, metal scraping on metal. As Danny had predicted, the sudden rush of air caused a back draft. The subsequent explosion ripped the large garage door apart.

The blast caught everyone off guard. Firefighters, along with FBI agents were blown off their feet. Car windows shattered. A large chunk of the garage roof plummeted to the ground, smashing a police cruiser. Sections of drywall and shards of glass rained down on them.

Some of the more fortunate firefighters scrambled to their feet. Rushing to offer assistance to their injured colleagues. EMT's also arrived to help the injured. It was due more to the circumstances of the operation than luck, that the EMT's had been made to keep a safe distance from the garage. After a few minutes, the fire hoses were once again directed at the now almost completely destroyed garage.

Lou crouched down with his back against a car. "Man, what was that?"

Steve stood up brushing himself off. Apart from some dust and dirt from the ground he was fine. Fighting the urge to run into the chaotic scene before him to find his partner, Steve looked for the rest of his team. He could see Chin pulling Kono to her feet. Other than looking a little shell-shocked, they both appeared to be relatively unscathed. Kono held on to Chin's arm in an attempt to steady herself.

"You guys okay?" Steve asked.

Chin nodded to Steve in confirmation.

"I think we got lucky." Lou replied.

Steve never heard Lou's response. FBI agents swarmed the scene before him, surrounding the Camaro, guns trained on the two occupants. After careening out of control, the car had collided head on into the side of an FBI truck. It's front end had crumpled on impact and now sat half buried in the side of the vehicle. Aidan lay motionless, across the engine compartment, glass from the windshield in his blood soaked hair. A lone agent stepped forward, tentatively checking Aidan's neck for a pulse.

"He's alive, but barely." He gestured for the EMT's to approach.

Another agent approached the other side of the vehicle. He cautiously pulled open the car door, causing Danny's right arm to drop down, hanging limply from the car, fingertips brushing the ground. Danny was face down, the upper part of his body lay awkwardly in the footwell of the car. Blood pooling under him from a wound high on the side of his head. Leaning into the car and using two fingers the agent felt Danny's neck for a pulse.

 


	7. Chapter 7

Danny had never been so scared and alone. Dancing on the edge of awareness, he was unable to open his eyes. There was a feeling of someone or something touching him, random fragments of conversation. These were his lifelines, a fragile connection to the outside world.

Something wet trickled down his face. In his mind he wiped it away, but in reality his hand never moved. That same hand was being held by something warm, squeezing it tightly every so often. There was coldness on his arm, followed by what felt like a scratch and then a pinch.

"BP is dropping..." An unfamiliar voice faded in and out.

A loud grinding noise burrowed into his already addled mind. The need to escape overwhelmed him, but he couldn't even move his head. His heart hammered much too fast in his chest. His whole body felt like it was being held down.

"On the count of three, lift him slowly..." Another unfamiliar voice.

The sensation of being lifted up into the air disorientated him further. He felt his body start to tremble, every breath came in short sharp gasps. He felt like he was suffocating. Then, something heavy was pushed onto his face.

"Everything's going to be fine Danno... take slow, deep breaths..." This voice he recognized.

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Sitting alone in the hospital waiting room, Steve shuddered as the afternoon's events replayed when he closed his eyes. The image of Danny trapped and hurt forever etched in his mind. Aidan had been taken to the hospital after being stabilized at the scene, well over an hour before Danny. The Camaro's safety bars required cutting away before the medics could remove Danny. The list of concerns were overwhelming: head trauma, back injury, smoke inhalation, dehydration, and heat exhaustion.

Steve's cell vibrated in his suit trouser pocket. He looked at the caller I.D. before answering. "Chin, any news?"

"Nothing new. How's Danny?"

"I'm still waiting to hear. One of the nurses said a doctor would be out to see me within the hour." Steve stared at the clock above the door. He didn't hide his impatience. "That was about twenty minutes ago."

"Okay we're leaving to join you now. Hang in there. Danny's strong, he'll be just fine." Chin said it as much to reassure himself, as Steve.

"Thanks Chin. I know you're right." With that Steve hung up, and shoved the phone back in to his pocket. He leaned back in the chair, resting his head against the cool wall behind him, and closed his eyes.

_He'd left the governor's fundraiser with every intention of heading home to change before meeting the rest of the team at headquarters. But on his way there he had spotted Kamekona's helicopter. At first he'd been relieved that they were both back. He had exited his truck expecting to see Danny eating garlic shrimp, but instead found Kamekona getting ready to take a couple of tourists on a sightseeing tour. The look of panic on the big guy's face told Steve all he needed to know._

Now he was sitting on a hard plastic hospital chair, trying to make sense of it all and waiting for news on his partner's condition.

Half an hour later the rest of the team arrived to find Steve in that same chair, staring into space.

"Still no news?" Lou asked.

Steve shook his head. "Update me guys before Danny's doctor gets here." Steve ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Give me some good news, tell me you found Ronan Cleary."

"Sorry boss, all agencies are on alert to find him. He won't stay hidden for long." Kono sat down next to Steve and laid her hand on his shoulder. "Why don't I go get some coffees?"

"Thanks Kono."

Kono gave Steve's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "While I'm gone Chin and Lou can fill you in on what we know."

Chin sat in the chair Kono had just vacated. "Our friends from the bureau are rounding up the mechanics from the race team. I doubt very much if any of them will talk though. Agent Hansen pulled their man out from the undercover op. His name's Agent Myles Cross. Once the FBI have debriefed him, he's ours. He caught wind of Ronan's discovery and was heading to Kauai to warn Agent Stevens."

"Why didn't he just call her?" Steve looked puzzled.

Lou took a seat opposite Steve. "Apparently he tried, and when he couldn't reach her he caught the first flight over. When he arrived, Ronan was already at the garage, and so he hung back. He was unarmed and didn't want to blow his cover. He believed Agent Stevens had a better chance of escape during the FBI raid."

Steve stood and started to pace the room. "Well that plan worked out well for her."

The sarcasm wasn't lost on Lou. "Oh boy what a mess. Poor guys cut up about it. Her body is at the local M.E's office. We're still waiting on cause of death."

"Keep digging guys. Something doesn't add up. I have a feeling there's more going on here, and until we find out what, our priority is protecting Danny."

Chin held the door open for a coffee laden Kono. "As soon as we have news on Danny's condition we will head back to the drag strip."

"Doc's on the way." Kono passed Steve a coffee.

The doctor, a tall Hawaiian native, entered the waiting room. "My name's Dr Kauweke, I'm taking care of Detective Williams."

"Commander Steve McGarrett." Steve shook the doctor's hand. "I'm Detective Williams' partner and head of Five-0. This is Officer Kono Kalakaua, Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly, and Captain Lou Grover."

"Firstly let me just say, Detective Williams is in a serious, but stable condition."

"Please call him Danny."

"Okay... _Danny_ is being treated in the ICU. We have a few concerns. Firstly, he has a severe concussion, which appears to have been caused by blunt force trauma to the side of the head and from the impact sustained in the car."

Steve shook his head in disbelief. "We need to find out what went on in that garage."

"Unfortunately you may have to wait a few days. While conscious, Danny was far from coherent. He managed to answer some basic questions, but his memory is hazy. He was also very drowsy and slow to respond. These are all indicative of a severe concussion." The doctor paused to give the team time to digest the information.

"You said _when he was conscious_ , so he's not now?" Chin questioned.

"Sorry, I know this is a lot to digest. Danny is in a medically induced coma. Although his exposure to the fire was limited, there are some concerns regarding smoke inhalation affecting his upper airway. I elected to intubate Danny as a precaution. Airway edema could progress over the next 24 to 48 hours and that could make later intubation difficult, if not impossible. This type of coma will also protect the brain from swelling."

Steve paled at the news.

"On a positive note, his scans showed no back or neck injury. He has some bruising on his torso, arms and legs, but nothing serious." The doctor smiled for the first time.

Kono cleared her throat before talking, tears glistening in her eyes. "Can we see him?"

Steve put his arm around her and pulled her into a hug.

"Yes of course. I can let you all in to see him briefly, but then I must limit it to only two of you at a time."

"We have some security concerns, so one of the team will stay with him at all times." They all knew Steve was that someone without question.

"I have no problem with that, but please give the nurses space to do their job. If Danny's condition remains stable over the next 48 to 72 hours, I'm confident I can take him off the ventilator and lift the sedation." Dr Kauweke stood. "Please come with me."

They all followed the doctor to the ICU. "I will be back in a couple of hours to check on Danny, but Commander McGarrett, if you have any questions in the mean time, please let one of the nurses know, and they'll page me."

"Thank you, Dr Kauweke, and please call me Steve." Dr Kauweke bid them farewell and headed off to attend to another patient.

The four members of Five-0 took a collective breath and entered the ICU. One of the nurses directed them to Danny's cubicle. The sight of Danny lying motionless in the bed, surrounded by monitors and IVs, stopped them in their tracks. They all stood silently, unsure of what to do or say. The whoosh of the ventilator the only sound in the otherwise quiet room.

Kono covered her mouth with her hand to stifle the sob that followed. Chin wrapped a comforting arm around her. "Hey cuz, Danny will get through this... we all will, together."

She nodded her head. "Ohana."

Steve walked to the side of the bed and picked up Danny's hand. "We still need to have that conversation about working on the Marquis. I promised we would, so don't go thinking this gets you out of it buddy."

He blinked a few times to clear the tears that threatened to full. The rest of the team looked on in silence.

Steve placed his hand on Danny's forehead. "Gracie needs her Danno..."

Lou shifted uneasily where he stood at the foot of the bed. "Speaking as a father, I think one of us should go back to Oahu and see Grace. If I were in Danny's position, I would want one of you to go see my baby girl in person. We can't do this over the phone. I'm happy to go, but I don't think I'm - "

"I'll go be with Grace, but you're coming back with me." Kono looked up at Lou.

He nodded in agreement. "I'll go back to headquarters, continue the investigation there."

Kono now looked at Steve. "You've got to have each others backs, including Danny's. You can't do that sleeping in a plastic hospital chair and living on vending machine food."

"I've done worse. I'll be fine." Steve looked at the offending chair behind him. He knew she was right.

"Lou. You and I will catch the next flight out, but before that, we need to book them into an hotel, somewhere near here."

Lou agreed. "I'm with you there sister... no argument here."

Kono looked at each of her teammates and then Danny. "I was taught by the best."

Chin walked over and stood by the bed. "Before I go meet with Agent Cross, I'll check on Aidan Cleary's condition. I'm not buying the whole, _he set the fire story._ Something tells me he is as much a victim as Danny." Chin placed a hand on Danny's leg and looked at Steve. "Stay strong brah, I'll be back later, call if there's any change."

"Thanks guys. I know this is hard and we all want to be here for Danny, but this is what he would want. Look after Grace and solve this case."

They all said their goodbyes and left Steve alone with Danny. He pulled a chair over and sat close to the bed. Again, he picked up his friend's hand and gave it a squeeze, shivering at how strange and lifeless it felt. Choked with worry, he whispered. "Hey Danno... it's not just Grace who needs you. I need... you."

 


	8. Chapter 8

_Three days later. Wilcox Memorial Hospital._

It was early evening, and it had been a long day. The ventilator had been removed that very morning, nasal cannula in place along with one remaining IV. Dr Kauweke's prognosis at least gave him some comfort, because at this moment in time Danny felt like death warmed up. His most recent scans showed no swelling or bleeds on the brain, and his throat had settled down allowing the vent to be removed. The doctor had informed him that the symptoms he was currently suffering from should resolve themselves in a week or two. There was a long list: headaches, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, nausea, and vomiting.

At this present moment in time he was nursing the sore throat from hell, coupled with a dull headache, and was struggling to get comfortable. He closed his eyes trying to remember the events that caused his current predicament. He'd been assured that memory loss was common with a severe concussion. Giving up he now lay watching his sleeping partner. A more comfortable high back chair had replaced the plastic one, which he guessed Steve had sat in for the last 48 hours.

"How are you feeling sunshine?" Lorna, Danny's day nurse entered the room. Grinning broadly she made some notes on his chart.

"How long has sleeping beauty been out?" She said looking over at Steve.

Danny shrugged, putting a finger to his lips.

"When can I... go... home?" His voice hoarse, just above a whisper.

"The good news is you should be in a private room by this time tomorrow." She passed him a cup of water.

"I'm not your doctor, but from experience, I would guess you are looking at another five or six days. Don't quote me on that, like I said I'm not your doctor. Now try to get some rest, and I'll check on you again later." Lorna gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Hey, am I interrupting something?" Lou stuck is head round the door, having returned from Oahu early that morning.

"No come on in. I was just checking on Danny, I'll leave you guys to it."

Lorna wagged her finger at her patient. "Keep the talking to a minimum, and if the pain gets to be too much, press the call button. Don't be a hero."

Danny gave a thumbs up and then turned his attention to Lou. "How's Grace holding up?"

He struggled to get the question out, his throat obviously causing him a lot of pain.

"Didn't your nurse just say, don't be a hero?" Lou walked into the room carrying a large duffel bag.

"Grace?" Danny ground out.

Before Lou could answer, Steve woke up and stretched. "Lou, good to see you."

"Let me guess, you've been perched on that chair for the whole three days I've been away." Lou pointed at the offending chair.

"Don't you start with that, the nurses have been on my case." Steve scrubbed a hand over his face, letting out a yawn.

He then looked at Danny who was rubbing his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Danno you okay?"

Danny just glared at Lou, growing increasingly inpatient, as he waited for an answer about his daughter. The big guy raised his hands in apology before answering.

"Grace is an amazing young lady. She's just fine, man. Rachel's letting her spend this weekend with Kono, and once you're up to it, you can give her a call. She sends love and kisses to her Danno and Uncle Steve." Lou reached into the black duffel bag he had dropped on a chair by the door. "Here she sent you these."

Lou passed Danny a couple of hand made get well soon cards. Danny smiled for the first time in a while, staring at them happily.

Lou tossed the bag to Steve. "Here, I brought you a change of clothes. Why don't you go freshen up, and then catch up with Chin? I know he's got a heap of stuff to run by you. I'll keep Danny company."

Steve got up, stretched, and worked the kinks out of his neck. Walking over to Lou, he gave him a slap on the back. "Thanks Lou. Danno, I'll be back within the hour."

Danny sank back into the pillows and sighed. "I'm fine. Go."

With that, Steve grabbed the duffel bag and headed out the door.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Ryan sat in his car. Parked by the curb on the street, he had a good view of the entrance to Wilcox Memorial. He'd watched the head of Five-0 get into a cab and head out of the parking lot about thirty minutes earlier. He had spent the last few days gathering information on the Governor's special task force. His main focus now was Detective Williams aka Jason Fisher.

Ryan had escaped the garage with Ronan long before the Feds showed up. They'd headed to a cabin on the outskirts of the rainforest where Ryan took no time at all in ridding himself of Ronan. A single gunshot to the head, that's all it took. Ronan had remained blissfully unaware of his employees' intentions until the moment he felt the gun pressed into the back of his head.

He had a hunch the FBI and local law enforcement would search the local area for Ronan. Hopeful that they would remain in the dark regarding his involvement. Only Aidan or the other guy could identify him, that's if they made it out of the garage alive. The cabin was only about a thirty minute hike from the drag strip and as he'd expected Ronan's body was discovered quickly. Having very little time, he had no choice but to leave the body where it fell. Like a true professional, he covered his tracks well. Ryan had disposed of the gun deep in the jungle, and then quickly made his way back into town.

Now, he focused on the remaining threats - the Detective and Aidan Cleary. Aidan's prognosis was not good, and he remained in a coma. However, he had learned that the detective was now on the mend, so he had to make his move soon.

A bang on the roof of the car startled him from his thoughts. "Hey you gonna sit there all day or get this over with?" A load voice boomed. "Come on we'll check on Cleary first."

"Yeah I'm coming. McGarrett will be back soon, so let's make this quick." He replied, following his colleague across the parking lot.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Steve felt more like himself, having shaved and taken his usual three minute shower. If Danny was there he'd be giving his best Navy shower rant. That thought put a smile on Steve's face. Sporting a t-shirt and cargoes, he headed towards a bench outside the hotel. Chin sat waiting for him, coffees in hand.

Steve gratefully accepted the paper cup. It had been a long week, and it wasn't over yet. "So what's this heap of stuff you got for me?"

Chin looked confused. "Heap of stuff?"

"Lou said you had a heap of stuff to go through."

"I'm guessing Lou thought you needed an extra incentive to leave Danny's side. Did you?"

"Maybe. I must admit I do feel better for the shower and change of clothes. Danny's making progress according to the doc. He should be in a private room by tomorrow."

"That's at least some good news." Chin sat silently for a few seconds, just staring at his coffee cup before continuing. "I'm at a loss, Steve. We have no new leads, two dead, and a crew that's not talking. We need Danny to regain his memory. He's the key to this."

"It's that last part which worries me. We need Danny to remember in order to solve this case, but who ever did this must also know that. Which is why I don't like leaving him alone."

"He's not alone; Lou's with him."

"I know, but I would prefer it if we were all at the hospital. Come on, let's go."

Steve and Chin arrived at the ICU to find Lou standing in the corridor, deep in conversation with Agent Hansen and another man.

"Commander McGarrett, meet Agent Myles Cross." Agent Hansen introduced his man.

"Commander, it's good to finally meet you. Sorry I didn't make it here sooner. I was hoping to see Detective Williams. He may well be the last person to have seen Angela alive. I would really appreciate just five minutes with him. Your man here doesn't seem to think it's a good idea." Agent Cross looked expectantly at Steve.

Steve sighed, wanting to roll his eyes. Cross looked on anxiously. "Danny has no recollection of the events of Sunday afternoon, and he's only been conscious for a day. So I agree with Lou; it's not a good idea. We'll contact you if he remembers anything."

"I fly back to LA tonight, so that won't be possible." Cross looked to Hansen for back up.

"You do realize we need a statement from Detective Williams. Let my agent speak to him, try to get a statement now. If he can't remember enough detail, I'll come back at a later date. I want us to work together on this. Please don't make me pull rank Commander. After all this is an FBI investigation."

Steve laughed. "Really... your investigation? Shit, you Feds never fail to amaze me."

He looked at Cross, giving him his best SEAL death stare. "Fine have your five minutes. But if you push Danny too far, trust me, you'll be needing a hospital bed of your own."

"Five minutes, I promise."

"I'll go with you." Steve directed him towards the ICU entrance.

"Commander, let one of the nurses show him in. We need to talk." Hansen said.

Steve held his hand up, fingers spread. "Five minutes. Not a minute more. Understood?"

With a nod of his head, Cross headed towards the entrance, but before he could enter, the double doors swung open. Two orderlies pushed a bed out into the corridor and headed towards the elevator. Steve realized it was Danny, when he spotted Dr Kauweke following. The doctor smiled when he saw the Five-0 contingent.

"Gentleman, you will be pleased to learn we're moving Danny to a private room. I know we said tomorrow, but his vitals have remained stable all day, and the sooner we can get him up and mobile, the sooner we can get him out of here. We're moving him to the second floor." Looking from the team to the two FBI agents, the doctor added. "Please keep the questions and conversation to a minimum. Be mindful of his concussion and sore throat. Once we have him settled, a nurse will come and get you."

Before Agent Cross could start to object, Agent Hansen directed him towards the exit. Pushing the call button for the elevator, he turned to the Five-0 team. "I'll be back tomorrow for Detective Williams' statement."

"Be thankful for small mercies." Lou rested his hand on Steve shoulder. "Come on, let's wait upstairs."

Steve and Chin nodded in silent agreement, and the three men made their way to Danny's room.

 


	9. Chapter 9

Two days after being transferred from the ICU to his own private room, Danny found himself spending a good part of the day sleeping. Free from IVs and other machinery, he could now get up and move about on his own. The nausea and dizziness had thankfully subsided, but the headaches continued in varying degrees. At their very worst, they were totally debilitating, leaving him drained and lacking energy. Today he woke with only a dull headache, and with his throat now healed, he took the opportunity to test it on his friends. Demanding that they leave for the afternoon, giving them all a much-needed break. The investigation had stalled and Danny was all too aware that his own memories were the key to moving forward. So far his recollection of events was sketchy. He could remember fragments, but not enough to piece any one part together, let alone put names to faces. So he now lay dozing, the two officers at his door a constant reminder of the danger surrounding him.

Hearing the door open, Danny woke from his nap, half expecting to see Steve. He frowned when he guessed the two men that approached were FBI.

"Good afternoon Detective Williams. I'm Special Agent Mark Hansen and this is Special Agent Myles Young. We took the liberty of sending the two officers for a coffee break. This shouldn't take long."

The door opened again and another man entered. Danny was sure he recognized the guy from somewhere.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Hansen asked.

Within seconds of the man entering the room. He gave no answer. He simply shot both Agents. No warning. Just the deadly precision of a professional. Before Danny had a chance to react, a gloved hand clamped down over his mouth. The memories he had fought so hard for now flooded his mind, and he struggled to make sense of them. The man leaned forward, his breath warm on Danny's face. Sweat beaded on his forehead as his anxiety level skyrocketed.

"Hello Detective, or should I call you Jason? Amazing isn't it? My job gives me access to all sorts of things: personal information, homes, schools, hospitals. Funny how relaxed people become around an officer of the law. Wouldn't you agree?"

Danny struggled to focus, his head now pounding in rhythm with his racing heart. The hand still covered his mouth, making it almost impossible to fill his lungs with much needed air. He clawed at his attackers arm, the action conjuring up a not too distant memory of a man and woman struggling.

The man's cell phone buzzed. "I will remove my hand, but trust me detective, it's in your daughter's best interest, if you do not try to call for help."

Danny greedily sucked in air to ease the burning in his chest. The man held the phone up in front of him. "Your daughter just got out of school. She looks so happy in this photo, wouldn't you agree?"

Grace did indeed look happy, exiting the Academy of the Sacred Hearts with a group of friends. His breathe hitched, and he felt his chest tighten. There was nothing he could do to protect her except follow orders.

He watched as the man removed the silencer from his gun, dropping it into his pocket before holstering the weapon. He then took a large hunting knife from his jacket pocket. Swallowing hard, Danny struggled to control his emotions. Nothing good could come from this.

"I doubt your friends or those two officers will be back for a least another twenty minutes. Just enough time for you to bleed out, detective."

"Your over confidence will be your downfall, Ryan." Danny bit out. He shivered as Ryan pressed the cold steel against him.

"Ah... you remember. I'm touched Detective. Too bad there's no time to reminisce."

The gloved hand covered his mouth once again, squeezing harder this time. He felt the cold steel of the knife slice through tender skin, the sensation at first almost surreal. His insides tightening as the foreign object made itself known. A searing fire shot through his side, causing him to choke back the pain. His eyes shot to Ryan's as the blade was ever so slowly removed. Warmth spread across his abdomen, and he had one fleeting surge of adrenaline. Danny tried to push the hand away from his face, but the intense pain and lack of oxygen made it impossible. He watched his attacker wipe the blade clean on the white hospital sheet. His vision graying, he was slowly losing the fight to keep his eyes open.

Ryan's voice now sounded distant. "Let's hope for your sake my calculations are correct. We wouldn't want anything untoward to happen to your beautiful daughter, Gracie, now would we?"

Those parting words were Danny's undoing. _Grace_. His breath escaped in a strangled sob, tears sliding down his cheeks as the crushing pain and anguish of the moment overtook him.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

A fist smashed down onto the coffee tray, sending cups flying, splashing the table and innocent bystanders with coffee.

"Your colleagues' incompetence may well cost my partner his life." A raging 6ft Navy SEAL launched himself across the table, grabbing Agent Cross by the collar and throwing him against the wall. His friends leapt into action, trying desperately to pull Steve off the agent, shouting for him to calm down. He needed this rush. Someone had to suffer. Tired and beyond worried, he struggled to control his anger.

"If Danny were here, what would he call you?" Chin shouted in his ear. That one question grabbed Steve's attention.

"Neanderthal animal." Steve let go of Cross, pushing him away like he'd been stung. Scrubbing both hands across his face, he staggered and dropped heavily into the nearest chair.

"You're certifiable, McGarrett. My superiors will be hearing about this." Cross brushed himself off and headed toward the exit.

"Get the hell out of here." Lou made a point of seeing him out of the door of the hospital canteen.

Steve sat with his head in his hands. Chin gently squeezed the back of Steve's neck. "We'll go and see if there's any news. Stay here; we won't be long."

Without receiving a response the two men left their boss alone to gather his thoughts.

A lump formed in his throat as he fought to hold back the tears, the chaotic scenes from earlier still replaying in his mind.

_He knew something was wrong as soon as he saw the empty corridor. He'd rushed into the room, coming to a dead stop, Chin and Lou almost crashing into the back of him. The two FBI agents lay motionless, blood pooling onto the tiled floor beneath them. Steve ran to Danny's side. All he saw was the sheets soaked with blood. So much blood. With a shaky hand, he'd felt for a pulse, pressing harder than he wanted. Danny's pulse had been so weak. But it was there. After throwing the sheets to one side he pulled his outer shirt off, and used it to stem the bleeding._

_Moments later hospital personnel filled the room, pushing him to one side, and from that point on he became a spectator. A spectator to something that would be etched in his mind for months, if not years to come. He watched Dr Kuaweke insert a breathing tube, while a nurse checked and covered the wound. An IV supplying life saving blood was started. Another nurse attached a heart monitor, then checked his stats. Blankets were heaped on Danny to maintain heat and stave off shock. The whole scene seemed to last for hours but in reality it only took mere minutes to stabilize Danny before he was rushed to surgery._

They had spent hours interviewing staff and patients to no avail. A professional had undertaken the attack, he or she knowing when to strike and how to avoid showing their face on camera. After watching CCTV footage from inside the hospital and outside, they had come up empty. The perpetrator had seemingly vanished into thin air. The hospital was now swarming with feds. Over four hours later, Steve and his remaining team had gone to the canteen to regroup.

Chin walked back into the canteen. "Danny's out of surgery and back in the ICU. Dr Kauweke is waiting for us."

Lou was standing by Danny's bedside talking to his doctor. "Good evening gentleman. I knew you would be eager to see your friend, so I thought it prudent we meet here."

He moved over so that Steve and Chin could join them. Steve's knuckles turned white as he gripped the side rail of the bed, looking Danny over, trying to take it all in.

Thankfully the breathing tube had once again been removed, replaced by a nasal cannula. Two IV's ran into his arm, one to administer antibiotics, the other to replenish the blood he'd lost. A blood pressure cuff wrapped around his upper arm with a pulse oximeter clipped on his finger.

"Is he going to be alright?" Steve asked.

"He will be with a lot of rest. Surgery went well. The knife did minimal damage. We repaired all tissue and liver damage. I would have to say whoever did this must have had some medical knowledge. In my opinion, they calculated that Danny would bleed out before you returned. It would take an estimated twenty minutes to die from the blood loss. Your early return saved his life."

Steve paled at the news. The doctor gave him a minute to digest the information.

"We are treating him with broad spectrum antibiotics. The wound was clean and deliberate in its placement, so I am confident any infection has been avoided. Now he should sleep for a good few hours, but considering what he has been through and the ongoing threat to his life, I will allow you all unrestricted access to the ICU."

"Thank you. We really appreciate what you've done for Danny." Steve smiled for the first time in hours.

"You are more than welcome. Before I leave, I thought you'd like to know Mr. Cleary regained consciousness, and he doesn't appear to have suffered any long term neurological damage."

"Have you told anyone else of his condition?" Chin asked.

"Only Agent Cross." Dr Kauweke made some notes on his tablet, then slipped it into his pocket. "Well gentleman, I have other patients to see to before I finish my shift. I will be back tomorrow afternoon. Danny's nurse will be in shortly to take readings."

After a long silence Lou was the first to speak. "One of us should go check on Cleary."

"Lou you go. I want Chin to speak with Agent Cross. There's something about that guy that doesn't sit right. I'll stay with Danny." Steve shook his head. "I just hope we can get some answers when he wakes."

"I'll try. Not sure how forthcoming he'll be after earlier." Chin voiced his reservation.

"He might talk to you, after all it was mainly you who saved him from needing a hospital bed." Lou said trying to lighten the mood.

Steve smiled. "Thanks guys."

Steve once again sat down at Danny's bedside. "There's one thing I can guarantee, Danno. I won't be leaving your side until we catch your attacker."

 


	10. Chapter 10

In the early hours of Saturday morning, Ryan once again found himself stalking the hospital corridors. Stifling a yawn, he stood in a stairwell trying to decide his next move. His anxiety rising in epic proportions, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small pink bottle. He thumbed off the lid, tipping a couple pills into his hand, and then dry swallowed them. Leaning against the wall, he closed his eyes trying to visualize his wife Becky, his children or his lost lover. But as hard as he tried, he couldn't see or feel anything for any of them. Feeling completely detached, he felt no remorse for anyone or anything that had happened. What he did feel was alive and content - free. Smiling to himself, he focused on the future.

He never planned on returning to his old life. In that life Becky had left him, taking their two young children with her. She'd forgiven him time and again for being unfaithful. But his latest affair with Agent Angela Stevens was the proverbial _straw that broke the camel's back_. And then not long after his marriage break-up, Angela had ended their relationship. He was left devastated and alone.

Two months later, in an amazing twist of fate, both Ryan and Angela found themselves assigned to the same undercover operation. He pursued her, hoping to get romantically involved again, but Angela had other ideas. Using every opportunity to flaunt her involvement with Ronan, she mocked him. After several months of being taunted, he couldn't take it anymore, and in a fit of rage, he revealed her FBI status to Ronan. When Detective Williams arrived, posing as Jason Fisher, events had spiraled out of control. In hindsight, he knew he should have simply shot both Williams and Cleary rather than setting fire to the garage, but Ryan always had a propensity to be over theatrical. Which he proved again with his most recent attempt on Williams' life.

Using his FBI status, he had moved around the hospital unhindered. Doing his utmost to avoid the Five-0 leader. Then the good doctor had updated him on Aidan's improving condition. Impatience getting the better of him, he decided he had to "take care of" Aidan and be done with it all. But this proved impossible when the other members of Five-0 arrived on Aidan's floor. He had managed to slip unnoticed into a supply closet, a short distance from a waiting area. The two Five-0 officers were there, having what they thought was a private conversation. Due to Aidan's ill health, they had decided to wait a few days before questioning him. Lieutenant Kelly informed Captain Grover of his suspicions regarding Agent Cross and the need to locate him quickly.

So he now found himself in his current predicament, trying to avoid Five-0 and very soon most of the FBI. The hospital was on complete lock down, security tight, and he knew he was running out of time. The only logical move he had left was to get off the island and disappear. Start a new life with yet another identity, leaving Myles Cross and Ryan Stone behind him. He reached for his gun, checked the cartridge, and then re-holstered it. He'd never done anything logical in his life and he wasn't about to start now.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Chin ended his call to Kono. After stuffing his cell into his jeans back pocket, he began to pace the corridor. He stopped when he spotted Lou exiting the ICU. Chin joined him and the two men made their way to a row of chairs. At this late hour the floor was quiet and the small waiting area was deserted.

"Aidan Cleary's too sick to be questioned. We need to wait a few more days. Kono have anything new?" Lou asked.

"Nothing concrete, but Cross' story doesn't add up. I'm starting to think the reason for the raids wasn't just down to one agent's cover being blown. It's looking more like they had lost track of their other agent entirely. Kono's digging into his past as we speak. She's doing what she can, but it's still early, and she's at Danny's place with Grace."

"How's Grace holding up?"

"Gracie's fine." Chin shock his head. "She's astute, that one."

"You're not wrong there." Lou smiled. He'd become very fond of Danny's daughter.

Chin stood, hands on hips, deep in thought. "Kono's going to call back if she finds anything helpful. In the meantime, we need to find Cross. He's involved somehow."

"I've seen enough in my time on the force to not be surprised. He has the knowledge and resources to cover his tracks. We need to move fast if we want to catch him before he tries to flee the islands."

"We need to recruit some help to find him. Come on, let's get moving." They headed off, both pulling out their cells to start making arrangements.

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

Eyes closed, Danny lay there trying to remember why he felt so lousy. He had a dull headache and any movement sent a sharp pain through his belly. He reached down tentatively, his hand brushing across bandages. Then in a flash he remembered every nauseating detail in technicolor. Sitting bolt upright, he yelled out in pain, dropping back down onto the bed panting, struggling to control his breathing with tears welling in his eyes. In a heartbeat, Steve was at his side trying to soothe him.

"Hey Danno, try to slow your breathing." Steve reached over to press the nurse's call button, only to have Danny move it out of his reach. Looking down, he saw maddened blue eyes glaring at him. "Okay, it's just you and me buddy, but you need to calm down."

Steve took hold of Danny's hand and perched on the side of the bed.

"Grace, I need to speak to Grace." Danny frantically tried to push back up from the bed, only to be held in place by Steve. "He threatened to hurt her. He had a photo of her leaving school. Please Steve, call her."

"Who threatened to hurt her?" He said with a look of shock and alarm.

"Just make the call." Danny's voice now laced with anger.

"Who Danny? I need to know...then I'll make the call." Steve held the phone up.

"Okay, okay...give me a minute...Ryan. I can't remember his last name."

"Ryan Stone?" Steve shook his head in disbelief. "I knew it."

"Yeah, sounds familiar. How'd you know that?"

Steve held his hand up to forestall any more questions. Jumping off the bed, he got straight on the phone to Chin.

"Agent Myles Cross is our man. I want a BOLO put out on him now. I'll stay with Danny. Make sure we have Aidan Cleary covered. Thanks Chin."

"Steve, what the hell's going on?"

"I'll explain, but first let's check on Grace." Steve knew making the call would be the only way to keep Danny calm.

"Hey Kono. Can you please go check on Gracie?"

_"No problem boss. I'm looking at Grace right now and she's sleeping. I'll send you a photo, so you can show Danny. Is he okay?"_

"He's fine, just needs to check on his Monkey." Steve gave Danny a reassuring smile.

_"I'll check in with you guys in the morning. If Danny's up to it, Grace is desperate to talk to him."_

"Thanks Kono." Steve held his cell up for Danny to see. "She's sleeping Danno. Safe and sound at your place with Kono."

Sighing, he sank deeper into the pillows, forcing himself to take slow calming breaths. Seeing his baby girl sleeping peacefully, he slowly let go of his anger. He ran one hand through his hair. "Shit look at me, I'm supposed to be a seasoned detective with an elite task force, and I've let not just one, but two guys get the better of me." He stared up at the ceiling refusing to make eye contact with Steve.

Danny was about to speak again when the door to his room opened. They both looked over half expecting to see his nurse. They got a rather nasty surprise instead.

"Third times the charm." Agent Myles Cross stood in the doorway, his gun aimed at Danny. His voice filled with arrogance. "What did I tell you? My job allows me access to all sorts of places and here I am again."

Steve leveled his weapon at Cross, trying to position himself between Danny and Cross. "It's over Cross. Put your weapon down."

"Don't move Commander, or I'll put a bullet in your friend's head." Aidan glared at Steve.

"You think you can get a shot off before me? Come on Cross, you have nowhere to go. Give it up."

Aidan's gaze now fixed on Danny. "Are you a betting man, Detective? Who would you put your money on, a trained FBI agent or a Navy SEAL?"

"I'd put money on you needing a hospital bed more than me right now. Because you, my friend, don't look so good."

"You're right Danny, maybe you should make room. Looks like he needs to lie down for a bit."

"Nah…on second thoughts, just shoot him Steven."

"Shut up, both of you, just shut up. Have you forgotten about your daughter? Because I haven't." Cross moved closer to Danny's bed, sweat beading on his forehead, his hands now trembling ever so slightly.

Before anyone could answer, they heard the sound of a gun being cocked. "Danny. Grace is fine."

Chin walked around to stand in front of Cross.

"He tried to make it look like he had help, but Cross here is working alone. Took some photos of Grace a few days ago when he flew to Oahu." Chin gave him a dogged look. "Didn't you?"

Shaking his head, Cross wiped the sweat now running down his face with his upper arms.

Chin continued. "See, we did some digging, and it seems our agent here's got quite the past. In and out of psych evals. Put on desk duty on a number of occasions for misconduct. And it appears this last assignment was his last chance to prove himself. But he got greedy. Siphoned off money from the haulage business into a private bank account. Then, he somehow managed to get himself transferred to the race team in order to get close to his ex lover, Agent Stevens."

Danny's anger resurfaced. "You let Ronan kill her? You watched him choke her to death, you sick son -"

Cross interrupted. "If I hadn't have stepped in and stopped Aidan, you would have had more than a concussion to deal with." His expression hardened, his voice now filled with malice. "They both deserved to die."

"What? You think I should be _grateful_? You saved me so you could kill me later? Is this guy for real?" Danny said incredulously.

" _Real_ , I'll tell you what's _real_. Never knowing who you really are or where you belong. Never knowing who your real parents are. Being shoved from one foster parent to another. Having your own children ripped from your life, only to have the woman you loved and who you thought loved you, leave you for a total ass." Cross stood menacingly over Danny. His shaky hands tightened their grip on the gun, the physical and emotional pain now overwhelmed him - a broken soul.

"And you think suicide by cop is the answer?" Danny challenged.

"Danny stop...last chance Cross. You can walk out of here, or we carry you out of here in a body bag. Either way this ends now." Steve edged a little closer, the tension in the room now palpable. Glancing from Danny to Steve, Cross slowly lowered his gun in defeat. Chin quickly pulling the weapon from his grip.

"Get down on the floor, hands behind your head." Cross crumpled to his knees, bowing his head to look at the floor, all the fight in him now gone. Chin cuffed him, and then hauled him to his feet.

"Book him, Chin." Steve shot a concerned look at Danny. "You okay Danno?"

"Book 'em, Danno has a better ring to it, don't you think?" Danny said with a wry smile.

"I'll take that as a yes." Steve laughed, dropping down onto the chair by Danny's bed.

  
  


 


	11. Chapter 11

Danny lay motionless, staring blankly up at the ceiling of his hospital room once again. Steve sat in the hospital chair at his bedside, watching the door Chin had just pushed their suspect through. Neither of them felt the need to talk, so they settled into an easy silence, lost in their own thoughts.

Danny squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to halt the flood of tears that threatened to full. Feeling the adrenaline leave his body, he found it hard to control his emotions.

"I wanted to stop him...I just couldn't get up off that damn floor...I should have tried..." His voice cracked with pent-up emotion. "She tried hard to fight him...I could see the fear in her eyes..."

"Danny stop. Don't you dare blame yourself. You were injured. If there had been even the slightest chance to save her, you would have found it." Steve got up and sat on the edge of the bed.

"When I close my eyes, I'm lying on the floor again. Her vacant eyes staring back at mine...it's like they were asking me why I didn't..."

Steve pulled Danny into a hug. He could feel the tremors running through his partner's body.

"This is not on you babe, none of it is. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Come on, cut yourself some slack. You've been through hell this past week." Steve pushed Danny back against the pillows. "Get some rest."

Steve patted Danny on the arm, before getting up and sitting back down in the chair.

Danny wiped his tear-streaked face with the back of his hand. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me, Danno. Just glad you're okay."

"About what happened in the garage..." Danny voice trailed off.

"You don't have to tell me now. It can wait until you're out of here." He waited, only continuing after he received an almost imperceptible nod of agreement from Danny. "Aidan Cleary is on the mend. There's no permanent damage, but he'll be here for a few more weeks, and then I'm sure the FBI will take care of him."

"That's good to hear. He may have bashed me over the head, but ultimately it was him that saved my life."

Steve studied his friend's face. Danny gave him a half smile, but then sorrow crossed his features again. It was more than he could take. He had to change the subject.

"Seriously? A Camaro?" Steve tried to lighten the mood. He couldn't stop the smile crossing his face.

"Shut up, Steven. It was a nice car."

"He didn't let you drive it." Steve barely got the words out before he starting laughing. Danny just gawked at him open mouthed. "The great Danny Williams lost for words. Sorry buddy, I couldn't resist that one."

"Four attempts on my life in one week, Steven. _Four._ And you think it's okay to make jokes?"

"Wow! Four attempts, and you call me a trouble magnet?"

Danny pulled one of the pillows out from behind him, threatening to throw it at Steve. "Go get some coffee or something. Let me rest, so I can get out of here, and then we can all go home. I miss my baby girl."

"Sounds good to me buddy." Steve headed for the door. "Oh...that reminds me. Grace sent you her iPod. It was in the duffel bag Lou brought back. I'll bring it with me later. She said there's a song on it you liked. Apparently, you kept singing it. Florence and the Machine, Ship to Wreck?"

The words "Get out," were followed by a pillow, which hit Steve full in the face. He stole the pillow and ran from the room. He could here Danny shouting after him. "Give me my pillow back. Neanderthal animal."

H50 H50 H50 H50 H50

_Five weeks later. Danny Williams' Home._

It was the Sunday before Danny's return to work. He had been cleared to return, but would only be on desk duty for the first two weeks. He had recovered well from his injuries, receiving a great deal of support from his ohana. He spent the first few weeks at Steve's place, which he was immensely grateful for. Everyone had pulled together to make sure Danny got to his hospital appointments and PT sessions. His time with Grace hadn't been affected. There was always someone on hand to chauffeur her around. In return for this, Danny and Grace decided to throw a party.

"Danno. Have you seen my iPod?" Grace shouted from her bedroom.

Danny ran his hand through his hair and sighed. He was surprised it had taken her this long to discover her precious iPod was missing. "I might have left it at Uncle Steve's."

It was indeed at Steve's. Hidden in the dresser in the spare room.

"Can you call him? Ask him to look? We need music, and he could bring it with him." Grace stood in front of him, hands on hips, looking at him expectantly.

"I'll ask him tomorrow, because you know what, we're going to do this the old fashioned way." He grabbed a handful of CD's and passed them to Grace. "We can use the stereo. You choose."

Grace studied the CD's. "Not Bon Jovi?"

Saved by a knock at the door, Danny scooted around his daughter, trying not to laugh at the look on her face.

Kamekona stood at the door carrying two large coolers. "Howzit brudda? Where's my favorite little taste tester?"

Before he could answer Grace shrieked "I'm here." She quickly put the CDs down and raced after Kamekona, as he headed for the kitchen. Flipper following along behind him carrying another two coolers.

"Hey little sister. I've brought along some new recipes for you to try."

"Leave some for me, Grace." Danny called out to her.

"There's enough to feed the whole island Danno." Grace shouted back.

Before Danny could close the door Steve pulled up in his truck. "You can leave the door open, the others aren't far behind me." He climbed out and pulled a crate of Longboards off the back seat.

"I'll have one of those." Danny pointed to the beers.

Steve shook his head as he passed him in the doorway. "You're still on meds, Danno."

"Don't Danno me. This is my party."

"Doc said no alcohol, _Danno_."

"One of you ladies care to tell us where you want this lot?" Lou and Renee walked in carrying various food containers.

Chin, Kono, and Adam followed behind them. Samantha and her boyfriend bringing up the rear.

"Are those two bickering again?" Chin asked.

Steve and Danny stopped talking and just stood there, trying their best to look innocent. Kono pushed past everyone and handed a large cake box to Danny.

"Take no notice brah. I've brought you plenty of desserts." Kono hooked her arm through Danny's arm and pulled him towards the kitchen.

"Sorry Adam she's all mine now." Danny laughed.

"Does that mean I get to eat this here Haupia. Homemade by Kono's aunt." Adam held up a box.

"On second thoughts you can keep her."

Kono punched Danny in the arm. "Not funny brah."

The friendly banter continued between the group and eventually the party was in full swing.

Several hours later Danny sat happily watching his family and friends. Kono and Adam were getting cozy on the couch. Grace played cards with Chin, Kamekona, Flippa, and Max. Danny smiled proudly at his daughter. She had once again successfully won another hand. Duke and his wife sat chatting to Lou and Renee. Samantha had brought her boyfriend along, and Danny couldn't help but notice the surreptitious looks Lou kept giving the young couple. _"Sorry Grace. No boyfriends before you're thirty."_ He thought to himself. Steve was in the kitchen getting everyone another round of drinks.

Danny felt his eyelids grow heavy. The long hectic day finally catching up with him.

Grace was the first to spot that her dad had fallen asleep. "Shush. Danno's nodded off."

"I believe it is time for us to leave." Max said as he stood up from the table. "We must schedule a rematch."

"You're on bruddah. Gracie's wiped me out." Kamekona said.

Grace held her finger to her lips. "Quiet you'll wake him." She said as she gathered together a bunch of Kamekona's fake shrimp truck notes.

Everyone started to head home. Leaving quietly so as not to wake Danny. Eventually only Steve, Chin, Kono and Adam were left.

"Hey, sleepy head. Wake up." Steve gingerly shook Danny's shoulder, doing his best not to startle his friend.

Danny looked up bleary eyed. "How long have I been asleep?"

"About two hours. Come on you should go lay down, and get some rest. You over did it today, bud."

Grace came and sat on her dad's lap. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she snuggled up to him. "Uncle Chin offered to run me back to Mum's. Please rest like Uncle Steve said. It's your first day back tomorrow, and you don't want to start out dead on your feet."

Danny looked at his friends and then at his daughter. "Seriously. Come on, Monkey, give it up. Who told you to say that?"

Grace gave Steve a sheepish grin. "Uncle Steve." She whispered in Danny's ear.

Danny tried his best to look annoyed, but couldn't help smiling at his best friend.

"Ah...Gracie you gave me up too easily." Steve did his best kicked puppy look.

"Sorry Uncle Steve."

After giving Danny a hug, Grace climbed off her dad's lap and helped pull him to his feet. Danny stretched, yawning loudly.

"Love you Danno."

"Love you more Monkey."

Kono and Adam headed for the door. "Thanks for a great time Danny." Adam said.

"See you in the office tomorrow. I'll bring the coffees and malasadas." Kono added.

"Thanks guys. Chin thanks for offering to run Grace home." Danny patted Chin on the back.

"My pleasure brah. Let's go keiki?"

Danny leaned up against the hood of his Camaro, arms folded across his chest, watching them all leave. Steve was the last one to go, heading down the drive towards his truck.

"Steve. Don't leave just yet, I wanted to talk." Danny shouted after him.

Steve frowned, concern etched on his face. "You alright Danno?"

"Yeah I'm good. I just wanted to explain to you why I never offered to help work on your dad's car."

"Ah...Danny I know I promised you that conversation, but that was before you nearly died. It's not important."

"It's important to me. Please listen, I want to explain. I never offered, because it always seemed way too personal. It's your dad's car...and I figured if you wanted help you'd have asked. I know I always give you a hard time about it and call it a heap of junk, but know you me, I never really mean it."

Steve stood in front of Danny, hands on hips. "I guess you're right. I enjoy my private time working on it, but now I know you can fix cars, I wouldn't say no to some help."

"I'll make you a deal. I'll work on your car if you work on mine."

Steve peered over Danny's shoulder at the Camaro. "Danno, the garage takes care of your car."

"Not this car, you goof." Danny proceeded to walk over to his garage and pressed the remote to open the door. In the center of the garage was the bright red Pro Mod Camaro, still sporting it's crumpled front-end.

"I don't know what to say. How did you get your hands on this?" Steve was dumbfounded.

"The FBI no longer needed it for the investigation. It was due to go up for auction in a couple of months. I made some inquiries, and after the Cleary debacle, let's just say, things swayed in my favor. My dad helped me out with the money. What do you think?"

"It looks complicated." Steve scrubbed his hand across his face.

"I've still got my contacts back in New Jersey. I can get the body work fixed, and there are guys out there who will help with engine parts."

"You're not planning on racing this. Are you?"

"Yes, Steven, we are. How would you like to be my Crew Chief?" Danny slapped Steve on the back. "It'll be fun, babe."

"You're going to drive this thing? You're joking, right?" Steve could only gaze wide-eyed in amazement at Danny.

"Yes, I am. You are now looking at Five-0 Racing. Driver, Danny Williams. Crew Chief, Steve McGarrett. The rest of the team can make up the remaining crew." Danny rubbed his hands together. "And do you know the best bit, Steven?"

"No, Danno. Enlighten me."

"The Crew Chief, never ever, under any circumstances, drives the race car."

**~ the end ~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it. I'll be posting the sequel to this soon.


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